More than one drink a day can increase the risk of high blood pressure in adults with Type 2 diabetes.

 Drinking eight or more drinks a week can increase the risk of high blood pressure (also called hypertension) among adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study published today in the American Heart Association Journal, The American Heart Association's open access journal.

alcoholic drinks

"This is the first major study to examine specifically the association of alcohol intake and blood pressure among adults with Type 2 diabetes," said senior study author Matthew J. Singleton, MD, MBE, MHS, M. Sc., Senior associate of electrical engineering at Wake University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "Previous studies have suggested that heavy drinking was associated with high blood pressure, however, the association between moderate alcohol consumption and high blood pressure was not clear."

The researchers examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and high blood pressure in more than 10,000 adults with Type 2 diabetes (average age 63, 61% male). All were participants in the Cardiovascular Risk Management (ACCORD) trial, one of the largest, long-term trials comparing different treatment modalities to reduce the risk of heart disease in adults with Type 2 diabetes. 2, conducted from 2001-2005 to 77 stations across America and Canada.

All participants had Type 2 diabetes for an average of 10 years prior to enrollment in the study. In addition to 10 years with Type 2 diabetes, they were at higher risk for cardiovascular events because they had pre-existing cardiovascular disease; evidence of possible cardiovascular disease; or had at least two causes of cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or obesity).

In this study, alcohol consumption was classified as none; light (1-7 drinks per week); average (8-14 drinks per week); and heavy (15 or more drinks per week). One beverage was equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 glasses of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. The number of drinks per week reported to each participant through a questionnaire when they enrolled in the study.

Blood pressure was categorized according to the Cardiology / American Cardiovascular College Guidelines of 2017 for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of Blood Pressure in Adults as Normal (less than 120/80 mm Hg); elevated (120-129 / <80 mm Hg); Stage 1 blood pressure (130-139 / 80-89 mm Hg); or Stage 2 blood pressure (140 mm Hg / 90 mm Hg or more). Most participants were already taking one or more blood pressure medications; thus, the analysis of blood pressure readings was adjusted to calculate the effect of the medication and to estimate the baseline blood pressure level.